Copernical Team
FAA initiates environmental impact study for SpaceX Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center
SpaceX's plans to build a Starship launch complex at Kennedy Space Center are moving closer to reality even as it potentially takes over a launch site from neighboring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was beginning an Environmental Impact Statement for Starship launches from KSC's Launch Complex 39-A. SpaceX had already built the beginning of a Starship launch tower adjacent to its existing pad that supports Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches.
Noticeable work on that new launch tower stopped in late 2022 as SpaceX shifted focus to develop its Starship and Super Heavy rocket from its Texas test launch site where it has managed three flights with varying degrees of success. The powerful rocket produces more than 16 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, nearly double that of NASA's Space Launch System rocket for its Artemis program.
The most recent launch in March saw the Starship upper stage finally achieve orbit before it burned up on reentry over the Indian Ocean while the Super Heavy booster crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.
US to raise concerns at first China AI talks
The United States and China will hold their first talks on artificial intelligence on Tuesday, with Washington set to raise concerns about Beijing's use of the fast-emerging technology, US officials said. The inaugural dialogue - announced without a date during Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit last month to Beijing - will take place in Geneva involving senior officials. US off
Looking to the Stars: The Science Behind Different Solar Eclipses
For the keen-eyed astronomers among us, it's rapidly approaching eclipse season. With a total lunar eclipse set to occur in North America on April 8, 2024, there's never been a better time to learn about the different types of solar eclipses. Eclipses are a fascinating astronomical event - historically, many cultures assumed that they disrupted the natural order - in some instances, they w
Third time could prove lucky for aurora viewers around the world
Anyone who missed the dazzling auroras dancing across night skies earlier this weekend will get another chance Sunday evening, as the powerful geomagnetic storm hitting the Earth is expected to intensify yet again. "Several intense Coronal Mass Ejections are still anticipated to reach the Earth's outer atmosphere by later today," the US National Weather Service said. Those ejections -
Where is the Best Place to Buy Used Books?
An average student's battle to acquire a textbook at a reasonable price is the hardship he/she has to go through every day. Baffling if it is possible to get the textbooks for the semester without any fortune to waste. There is no doubt in my mind that the top spot of receiving money is not the most expensive one and it helps you to start the year off smoothly with no financial troubles.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida
SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday night, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to just over 6,000. This was the 15th mission for the reusable booster rocket, which launches the spacecraft into orbit, largely under the power of a million pounds of rocket-grade kerosene. Nine of its launche
Experiment Allows for Potential Millions of Qubits on Single Chip
In the ongoing quest for a viable quantum computer, global researchers are exploring numerous qubit technologies, yet a consensus on the optimal qubit type remains elusive. Qubits, the core of quantum computing, are crucial for data processing, transfer, and storage. They must reliably store information and facilitate swift data processing, which depends on stable, rapid interactions among
Quantum advances enhance understanding of high-temperature superconductors
Technological advancements like superfast levitating trains, long-range lossless power transmission, and faster MRI machines hinge on the development of materials that superconduct electricity at room temperature. Researchers have now published findings in the May 10 issue of Science that deepen our understanding of superconductivity in materials known as cuprates, which have confounded sc
High-throughput device streamlines advanced material synthesis
A new device developed at the University of Birmingham allows for the rapid production of nanomaterial libraries using eco-friendly mechanochemical methods. Dr. Jason Stafford, a researcher at the School of Engineering, designed the system to foster highly controlled reaction environments, streamlining the extensive time traditionally required for material production in labs. This be
A better way to control shape-shifting soft robots
Imagine a slime-like robot that can seamlessly change its shape to squeeze through narrow spaces, which could be deployed inside the human body to remove an unwanted item. While such a robot does not yet exist outside a laboratory, researchers are working to develop reconfigurable soft robots for applications in health care, wearable devices, and industrial systems. But how can one c